Vertically sliding flexible door



June 27, 1950 l.. DELIVUK VERTICALLY SLIDING FLEXIBLE DOOR 2 sheets-skien 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1947 Im ll I Ill humpI -immuun l a w June 27, 1950 DELlvUK VERTICALLY SLIDING FLEXIBLE DooR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 17, 1947 INVENToR. zw/.9 @fl/vm( Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PTENT 'OFFICE j p Y ,"z`,'513,152A

VERTICALLY SLI'DING FLEXIBLE' Doo Louis neltuk, spekane. Wash'. Application February 17, 1947', Serial No. 729',I3I

The present invention relates to thegeneral classof doors or closures, and more specifically to air improved. vertical-lyv sliding flexible door adapted tol be wou-nd upon and unwoundl from an overheadrotary drum that is electrically operated by a motor and automatically controlled in its operations. i

The primary object of the invention is the proof a closure having these characteristics that is composed of a minimum number of parts which may with facility be manufacturedand assembled with convenience for installation to provide a quick-acting andy smoothly' operating closure.

While theI door of my invention is well adapted for various uses, it is especially designed` and adaptedv for use in grain elevators havingl scale rooms, and scales upon 'which the grain laden trucks are' weighed. Such rooms are usually open at both the front and rear, and wind currents through the room frequently interfere with accurate weighing of the contents of a truck. By the utilization of the door or closure of my inventiorr at the entrance to the room, the air currents may be cut olf at the rear of the grain truck, and the truck after weighing may be driven out of the scale room Without undue delay.

The invention consists essentially in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be claims. (c1. 16m-ase) described, and more particularly pointedv out in the appended claims.

the accompanying drawingsy I have'illustrated one complete example of a physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accord with one mode I have devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention. It will however be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made in these exemplifying drawings and mechanical structures, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a buildlng structure having an opening that is closed by a flexible door in which my invention is embodied, part of the structure being broken away for con- Venience in illustrating the motor and accessories.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal transverse sectional view at line 2-2 of Fig. l through one of the side columns of the doorway.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view at line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail View in elevation showing the relation of the motor, the rotary winding drum and the exible slatted door.

VFig-ure 5y is a view in elevation andi partly in section showing the brake or stop mechanism, and 'electrical control switches for the door.

Figure 6 is a detail of the wiring or motor circuit with its up and down switches manually controlled, together with the automatically operating electrical devices.

In order that the general arrangement and utility of parts may readily beV understood I have shown in Fig. 1 a conventionalbuilding structure B-'whi'ch may be the scale room for a grain elevator, and which is provided with a doorway or opening D that is to be opened' and closedl by the use `of the door of my invention. The framing around the doorway includes upright channel plates II and 24 at opposite sidesof the doorway, and a horizontal channel beam or lintel 3l across the top of the structure. The frame parts lf and '2 form side columns each having face plates 4y and 5 that are bolted, Welded, or otherwise secured, asfparts of the columns toprovide two vertical' guide slots or channels El.

The flexible, sectional, slatted door is built upon a web, curtain, sheet or screen 'l of heavy textile material or other suitable flexible material that is' anchored at one endI to an overhead, rotary drum 8 having a horizontal shaft 9 journaled in bearings I0', and the drum is driven by a reversible electrical motor IIl` through suitable transmission gearing in the gear box I2, all mounted on a horizontal beam I3 supported at the upper end of an upright fra-me member I4.

Thehorizontal slats of sheet metal, or other suitable materials are eachl made up of an outer horizontal plate I5 and an inner complementary plate I6, which are riveted together at I1, at opposite sides of the central curtain or screen 1, and the curtain between slats forms flexible joints so that the llexible door may be wound upon and unwound from the overhead drum when the latter is operated by the motor.

Each of the outer .plates of the slats is reinforced by an exterior horizontal hollow bead I8, and interior strengthening ribs |19 are welded within the bead to the plate to form a strong and rigid slat.

In its vertical movements the flexible door is guided by means of flanged rollers 20 journaled on stud axles 2| projecting laterally from opposite sides of the door, and these axles, are cutaway longitudinally at their inner ends and the inner plates I6 are also cutaway to permit welding of the axles to the door slats, as :best seen in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 5 it will be seen that the top slat of the door is equipped with a special pair of axles 22,

and the lower slat at its opposite ends is equipped with a pair of special axles 23, that project through and beyond the guide channels or slots in the upright columns of the door frame.

An inverted channel beam 24 in Fig. 5 is utilized as a sill or base for the door frame, and an upright channel l is secured thereto to provide a supporting frame for the electric contacts, a pair of friction brakes or stops, and a pair of spring projected and electrically retracted latches for the door.

For braking and stopping the upward and downward movements of the flexible door, a pair of bowed leaf springs 26 are attachedat 21 to the supporting structure I and these spring blades are located in the path' of movement of the extended axles 22 and 23, which ride in frictonal contact with the bowed springs, t0-

retard and stop the movement of the door.

The door is retained in closed position of Fig. 1 by two spring projected latches 28 mounted in the supporting channels l and 2 at opposite sides ,of the door opening in the pathvof travel of the Having thu's fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1, The combination with a door frame includ-f ing laterally spaced vertically slotted columns, an overhead rotary drum, and a reversible mod tor for operating the drum, of a flexible, sectional door attached at one end to the drum, laterally projecting axles mounted on the door, guide rollers mounted on the axles for co-action with the slotted columns, and resilient means Amounted at the tops of the columns forming friction brakes in the path of movement of the axles.

2. The combination with a door frame in cluding laterally spaced vertically slotted columns, an overhead drum, and a reversible motor f forvoperating the drum, of a exible door havaxle 23, and these latches are retracted by l electro-magnets or solenoids 29 when the latter :Iso

movement opens a closed switch33 in box 34 to break the motor circuit and cut out the motor Hand release the relay 3|.

For lowering the door the down-switch 35 is pressed to reverse the operation of the motor Il, and current then passes yfrom the switch to the motor, thence tothe lower control switch 36 that is operated by a cam. lblock 31 located in the path of the descending axle 23,` and through reversing relay 38. I

The weight of the lower end of the door assists in lowering the flexible door, and as axles 23 `slide past the latches 28 they are pushed back,` but the latches rebound to closed position under spring pressure. Near the end of the closing movement of the door axles 23 contact with .cam block 3l to open switch 36, release relay i4, and break the motor circuit, to stop the motor, at which time axles 22 contact bowed leaf 4springs 26, thus stopping the downward motion .oi thedoor.

ing cross slats and attached at one end to the drum, vlaterally projecting axles mounted on the slatsand guide rollers journaled on the axles co-acting with the slotted columns, and a pair of lbowed leaf springs mounted as friction brakes at the tops of the columns in the path of move-v ment ofsome of the axles.

3. The combination with a door frame including laterally spaced vertically slotted columns, an overhead rotary drum, and a flexible door windable on and unwindable from the drum, of stud axles projected from the door and rollers thereon co-acting with the slotted columns, an electric` motor for operating the drum and a reversible circuit for the motor, electrical control mechanism for the motor mounted in the columns in the path of said axles, a lpair of spring-projected latches mounted in thev columns for co-action with the door, and electromagnetic means in the circuit for retracting the latches.-

LOUIS DELIVUK.

REFERENCES CTED -v The? following references are of record in the le of this patent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

